By CNV Team
Lok Oknha Sos Kamry, Chairman of Highest Council for Islamic Religious Affairs in Cambodia,
Your Excellencies Ambassadors to the Kingdom of Cambodia,
Municipal/Provincial, District/Khan Imams, Masjid Imams, Teachers and Students of Islam,
Beloved Compatriots,
Your Excellencies Ambassadors to the Kingdom of Cambodia,
Municipal/Provincial, District/Khan Imams, Masjid Imams, Teachers and Students of Islam,
Beloved Compatriots,
Today, I am delighted to be here with Excellencies, Lok Oknha, Ladies
and Gentlemen, national and international guests and Muslim compatriots
at the closing of this 22nd National Quran Recitation Competition.
Participation of Muslims from all corners of the country really shows
the brotherhood of all Islamic communities, and more importantly, the
unity and pride of the nation. This event shows the good progress of all
religious beliefs in the Kingdom of Cambodia which has been clearly
stated in the Constitution and the Royal Government’s attention to
freedom of religion for all Cambodian people. Freedom of religion is
indeed a key factor that helps ensure peace, political stability, social
harmony and economic prosperity, protect the diversity of culture and
custom, and achieve happiness in the society.
Taking this opportunity, I would like to commend the Ministry of Cult
and Religions for working with the Highest Council for Islamic Religious
Affairs in Cambodia to organize this event, under the theme of “Youths and Society”
which is an honor and prestige of Islam religion and an indication of
the Royal Government’s special attention to national and international
Islamic communities. In this spirit, I would like to praise the
Cambodian Islam community for showing excellent cooperation, solidarity
and honesty based on the principle of mutual understanding by respecting
the right of other religion followers and strictly adhering the spirit
of non-violence, compassion and peaceful co-existence under all
circumstances over the past decades, allowing our society to enjoy peace
and development.
We are fully aware that religions play a significant role in the
development and maintenance of peace in the society by teaching
believers the value of honesty, righteousness, karma (cause and
effect), and how to get rid of suffering by staying away from
dishonesty, sinful act, anger, and greed to attain peace of mind. In
this connection, the Royal Government fully supports the freedom of
religion in Cambodia by adhering to the principle of mutual
understanding and respect to ensure peaceful co-existence of all
religions.
In response to our firm commitment to promote parallel progress,
development and complementarity for the present and the future, the
Royal Government will continue to respect people’s freedom of religious
belief or practice, as long as there is no violation of other religions.
We clearly understand that the relationship between religious beliefs
and way of life cannot be separated. In this spirit, I would like call
on believers of all religion in Cambodia to live harmonically and
participate in the development with the government to build a better
Cambodia for the present and the future.
Indeed, the Royal Government of Cambodia has created mechanisms to
ensure parallel progress of all religions. For instance, the Ministry of
Cult and Religions and the Highest Council for Islamic Religious
Affairs in Cambodia were approved to organize Al-Quran recitation
competition at convenient time without having to wait for invitation
letter from hosting partner at both national and municipal/provincial
levels. In addition, from 2013 onward, the Highest Council for Islamic
Religious Affairs in Cambodia is approved to set up a fund for
organizing the Al-Quran recitation competition at municipal/provincial
and national levels, and promoting the education of Islam. This year’s
Al-Quran Recitation Competition is jointly organized by the Ministry of
Cult and Religion and the Highest Council for Islamic Religious Affairs
in Cambodia to select a male and female winner to represent Cambodia to
participate in the 54th international Al-Quran recitation
competition in Kuala lumpur, Malaysia, which will be organized in the
near future. There will be a large number of recitation contesters from
other countries taking part in that competition. In this connection, I
highly value Al-Quran recitation contesters from Cambodia for the good
result in various international competitions by always achieving ranking
within the top half, and sometimes 5th or 6th ranking, among contestants from 75 countries.
This is a remarkable achievement following the rebirth of Islam in
Cambodia on January 07, 1979. At that time, Cambodia reemerged from
ruins left by the Pol Pot regime, as the invaluable culture and
tradition of Islam had been destroyed with small number of Muslims
compared to other regional countries and very limited resources,
especially in education sector. However, thanks to the hard-work of the
highest council for Islamic religious affairs in Cambodia, Cambodian
Muslims and the Royal Government’s attention to the development of
religious sector, Islam in Cambodia have regained its progress as good
as in other countries.
As mentioned above, we clearly see that when the country is in the
state of utter chaos, people lived with fear, died, got injured or
disabled while the physical infrastructure such as roads, bridges,
schools, hospitals and so forth were destroyed, meaning that religious
sector was also destroyed. During the period of three years, eight
months and twenty days of the Pol Pot regime, all religions, including
schools, hospitals, pagodas, Mosques and other infrastructures were
abolished. Therefore, any wrong political maneuver will result not only
in the destruction of the country, but also the destruction of all
religions.
Although the Kingdom of Cambodia regards Buddhism as the State
Religion, which is respected and practiced by the majority of Cambodian
people, the Royal Government fully respects the people’s freedom of
religious beliefs and practices based on equal rights, treatment and
obligations as long as there is no violation of other religions. What
really makes all of us proud is our ability to ensure religions or races
do not become a barrier of cooperation and development. This factor
helps us maintain full peace after the war. In this connection, the
Royal Government continue to call on all communities, regardless of
their religions, to exert joint efforts to promote cooperation, human
rights, non-discrimination spirit, and common progress.
In addition, I fully support the right of Cambodian Muslims to follow
and practice your priceless religious heritage in accordance with the
principles of Islam. I also strongly encourage all batches of male and
female students of Islam at municipal/provincial, district levels to
study Al-Quran harder to light up the way toward happiness in families
and the society. Along with that, I would like to commend the Muslim
compatriots who are present in this event and Muslims in the whole
country for firmly preserving the tradition of Al-Quran recitation in
each household community, regardless of living standard.
Taking the opportunity of this gathering for the Al-Quran recitation
competition, I would like to provide a number of recommendations
relating to the Islam community, the preservation of tradition,
solidarity of Muslims and the recitation of Al-Quran as follows:
First, The Ministry of Cults and Religions
needs to collaborate with the Highest Council for Islamist Religious
Affairs in Cambodia which has branches in municipalities, provinces,
districts, and communes, and identify means to strengthen the national
and international relations in order to mobilize spirit, material and
human resource supports to strengthen and expand the tradition of
Al-Quran recitation. Wherever Cambodian Muslims live, there should be
specific arrangement for studying Al-Quran as their routine practices
and preparation for selecting recitation students to participate in the
recitation contests at national and sub-national levels such as in
villages, communes, districts, cities, provinces and municipalities.
Second, for the benefit of the Muslim
communities as well as the national policy, there needs to transform the
essence of the national recitation competition of Al-Quran into real
actions with meaningful aspect for the Muslim communities. The Ministry
of Cults and Religions along with the Highest Council for Islamist
Religious Affairs in Cambodia should identify the core theme and change
it every year so that it is in line with the situation and circumstance
of the country; for instance Islam and Peace or Islam and Development as
such. In addition, it would be good if there are workshops,
radio-broadcasts or at least written documents or books relating to the
core theme for the male-female candidates, listeners and participants to
use as basis or model for continued and effective implementation at the
sub-national level.
Third, Male and female recitation winners
that will take part in ASEAN and international recitation competitions,
must bear in mind that you represent Cambodia. Hence, it means you
represent the honor and reputation of the nation. In addition, you need
to continue good cooperation with hosting and participating countries
for the benefit of Muslim community and society of Cambodia.
Fourth, Through the Ministry of Cults and
Religions, the Highest Council for Islamist Religious Affairs in
Cambodia needs to continue the effort to take part in socio-economic
development, especially in the education and health sectors which really
contribute to poverty reduction in Cambodia. In this spirit, you need
to continue work relations with other Muslim countries including
organizations, associations, and donors to seek assistance and support
for the development of Cambodia’s Muslim community, especially
scholarships for Muslim students to continue their studies in general
education and specialized skills.
Fifth, Leaders of Muslim community and all
Muslims need to collaborate, unify and unite internally in Cambodia’s
Muslim community and absolutely oppose any intention of splitting-up and
the use Muslim religion as a shield to serve their own ambition which
is against the Islam Law.
Sixth Cambodia’s Muslim community needs to
show good relations and cooperation with other religious communities at
national and international levels for the sake of peace, security and
development of Cambodia.
Truly, the implementation of these recommendations will contribute to
the peaceful co-existence and harmony of all religions, Buddhism,
Muslim, Christianity, and other sects to ensure peace, political
stability and development and improvement of living standard. Also, we
also promote the comprehensive dissemination and absorption of universal
knowledge in all localities and communities and continue to promote
exchange of cultures, traditions and arts among our people in order to
improve mutual understandings and to jointly accomplish more
achievements in the society.
Once again, I would like to commend the Ministry of Cults and Religions
for the close collaboration with the Highest Council for Islamist
Religious Affairs in Cambodia to organize the 22nd National Al-Quran Recitation Competition under the theme of “Youth and Society”,
which provides substantial motivation for Islam students and Cambodia’s
Muslims in the development of Islamist religion for the benefit of the
whole society.
Finally, along with the declaration of the Closing of the 22nd Al-Quran Recitation Competition,
May the Allah God bless Excellencies, Oknha, Ladies and Gentlemen,
especially the management of the Highest Council for Islamist Religious
Affairs in Cambodia, recitation contestants, with happiness and
prosperity./.